Patent EA-002807-B1 (EA)
Title: Agticultural compositions containing bacteria
Inventor: BRANLY KEITH L
IPC: A01N43/66
Filed: 1996-11-29
Abstract: 1. A composition for enhancing the activity of an agriculturally effective active ingredient comprising: (a) an agriculturally effective active ingredient selected from the group consisting of a plant growth regulating agent, herbicide, systemic fungicide, and a systemic insecticide; and  b) an enhancer for enhancing the activity of said active ingredient containing spores, cultures, or suspensions of a suitable Bacillus or soil bacteria at a pH sufficiently less than 7 to maintain said enhancer in spore form, provided that the composition does not contain plant growth hormones when said plant growth regulating agent is a plant growth stunting agent. 2. The composition of Claim 1 wherein said plant growth regulating agent comprises growth stunting agents, growth improving agents, and herbicides. 3. The composition of Claim 1 wherein said plant growth improving agent comprises plant growth hormones, such as gibberellins, cytokines, auxines, sodium ortho-nitrophenolate, sodium para-nitrophenolate, sodium 5-nitro-guaicolate, polyhydroxycarboxylic acids of 2, 4, 5, and 6 carbon structures, ethephon, nitrogen- or phosphoro-containing fertilizer. 4. The composition of Claim 2 wherein said plant growth stunting agent comprises chlormequat chloride, meliquat chloride, maleic hydrazide and esters thereof. 5. The method of Claim 1, wherein said plant growth regulating agent comprises a herbicide, mepiquat chloride, chlorinquat chloride, or ethephon. 6. The composition of Claim 1 wherein said enhancer contains a strain of bacteria from the genus Bacillus. 7. The composition of Claim 1 wherein said enhancer contains a B. cereus or B. megaterium. 8. The composition of Claim 1 wherein said enhancer contains ATCC 55675. 9. A nonliquid composition of Claim 1, comprising: (a) an agriculturally effective active ingredient, selected from the group consisting of a plant growth stunting agent, ethephon, a plant growth hormone, naphthalenacetic acid, sodium ortho-nitrophenolate, sodium para-nitrophenolate, sodium 5-nitro-guaicolate, polyhydroxycarboxylic acids, and a herbicide; and (b) an enhancer for enhancing the activity of said ingredient containing spores or cultures of a suitable Bacillus or soil bacteria, provided that the composition does not contain plant growth hormones when a plant growth stunting agent is the active ingredient. 10. The composition of Claim 9 wherein said active ingredient is mepiquat chloride, chlormequat chloride, or ethephon, glyphosate, or sulfosate. 11. A method for increasing the number of fruiting sites on a fruiting plant by (i) diluting a composition containing (a) an agriculturally effective active ingredient of a plant growth regulating agent; and (b) an enhancer containing spores of a suitable Bacillus or soil bacteria at a pH of less than 7 and sufficiently low to maintain said Bacillus in spore form, and (ii) applying the diluted composition to foliage of a plant containing fruiting sites. 12. The method of Claim 11 wherein said fruiting plant is cotton. 13. The method of Claim 11 wherein said plant growth regulating agent is a plant growth stunting agent or ethephon. 14. The method of Claim 11 wherein said enhancer contains a strain of bacteria from the genus Bacillus. 15. The method of Claim 11 wherein said enhancer contains a B. subtilis, B. megaterium, or B. cerew. 16. The method of Claim 11 wherein said enhancer contains ATCC 55675. 17. A method for enhancing the effectiveness of an agriculturally effective active ingredient by applying to a plant (a) an agriculturally effective active ingredient of a plant growth stunting agent, ethephon, or a herbicide; and (b) an enhancer containing spores, cultures, or suspensions of a suitable bacillus or soil bacteria. 18. The method according to Claim 17 wherein said agriculturally effective active ingredient is a triazine, glyphosate, or sulfosate, mepiquat chloride or chlormequat chloride. 19. The method of Claim 17 wherein said enhancer contains a strain of bacteria from the genus Bacillus. 20. The method of Claim 17 wherein said enhancer contains B. cerew or B. megaterium. 21. The method of Claim 17 wherein said enhancer contains ATCC 55675. 22. A composition of Claim 1, comprising a Bacillus in spore, culture or suspension form and a plant growth stunting agent, wherein the composition does not contain ATCC 55675. 23. The composition of Claim 22 wherein said active ingredient is mepiquat chloride. 24. The composition of Claim 23 wherein said bacteria from the genus Bacillus are B. cereus, B. subtilis or B. megaterium.